Story Warren

Kindling Imagination for Kingdom Anticipation

The Warren & The World Vol 11, Issue 24

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I got a new couch. More than one person who’s seen it has said something along the lines of “Oh, so not too different from your old one.” And I can’t blame them for that—sure, it’s also red, it’s about the same size, it also has two cushions and two back pillows. But they see what the old couch looked like, not what it was. It was the place where I sat to her the stories of girls from the dorm when I was the Dean of Women at a small Alaskan college. It was where friends and I sat together and wept together after a mentor was killed in a car accident. It was where my roommate sat listening as I read an early draft of my novel to her. That couch was not just a red couch with faded and worn upholstery. It was a part of my life for 18 years. I miss it, but I also can’t wait to see what parts of life this new one will witness.

Around the Web

When You and Your People Need Comfort and Courage and a Real Hero for Your Story

Ann Voskamp reminds us we don’t need to be the hero of our story, because we know the One who is.

  • Last time, she took her “Shero” doll, hand crocheted by her Great Aunt Maureen, the whole way with her when they rolled her away from us and into the operating room to saw open her sternum and get to her one brave heart. 
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Introducing Tales of Hibaria: The Master of Tides

Jamin Still’s Tales of Hibaria is a lovely book, and he’s currently Kickstarting a sequel.

  • Our good friend Jamin Still is back with further adventures in the fantastical world of Hibaria in his forthcoming full-length novel, Tales of Hibaria: The Master of Tides. With a new Kickstarter campaign, Jamin is now offering readers the chance to be the first to receive the new book along with several other exciting offers.
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5 Ways to Encourage Your Child to Read the Bible

Jamie Jo Wright challenges us to encourage our children to read the Bible.

  • Bible reading is such a critical part of a healthy relationship with God, but truthfully, it’s not the first Book most children gravitate toward—let alone adults. The words “it’s boring” and “I can’t understand what it’s talking about” probably sound very familiar. Still, many families encourage family devotions, church attendance, Sunday School, Bible clubs, etc., but that doesn’t make up for the element of personal time in the Scripture.
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Let the Gospel Reframe Your Art Making

Caroline Clark reminds us to frame our creating well.

  • As I sat in that room, surrounded by varying ideologies, I was saddened by the desperate search for meaning represented by the attempt to produce art for identity’s sake. It led me to ponder how the gospel offers a better vision for artists and creatives: a correct view of humanity, a love of the transcendentals, and the call to be chaos organizers rather than chaos makers.
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Around the Warren

What I’d Say to Kathleen Kelly

Kelly Keller considers what she’s say to a favorite movie character.

  • Every Thanksgiving Eve, after the dishes are washed, the sticky counters and floors wiped, and the table is set for the feast, my family buys a takeout dinner — mostly for me, the weary cook — and turns on Nora Ephron’s romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail. Ephron wrote the film as a remake of the black and white film The Shop Around the Corner, which shows two people falling in love through the mail. The 90’s version features a romance begun online thanks to America Online, so my husband and I always enjoy fielding questions from the children about “How long did it take you to get on the internet then?!”
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Review: Coco Moon, by Owl City

Ryan Elizabeth reviews Owl City’s latest album.

  • Very few things give me a bright burst of nostalgia like listening to “Fireflies” by Owl City. Not only does the ridiculously catchy 2009 hit remind me of a simpler time, but it also fills me with a sense of awe at simple things now. It’s hard to express the impact this imaginative and odd song about insomnia has had on me. Ever since “Fireflies,” I’ve been inspired by the works of Adam Young’s one-man-band.
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Something to Do with Your Kids

Who doesn’t love tie-dye? If you want some fun ideas for your next tie-dye project, here’s a great list!

Something to Watch

I don’t know that I’ve ever chuckled this much when thinking about maps.

Thanks for reading. We’re on your side. 

–The Story Warren Team

Carolyn Clare Givens
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